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I was in love with the minor – man (71) tells court

MOREBLESSING MATHEGWANDA BUREAU

GWANDA - A 71-year-old man from Gwanda has pleaded with a Magistrate not to convict him of rape because he was deeply in love with a 13-year-old girl he is accused of raping.George Nyathi of Buvuma area in Gwanda South stunned the court when he made the plea before Gwanda Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira."I did not rape anyone. We have been in love for some time now. If l am to be convicted it would not be fair for the court to punish me for having sexual intercourse with a minor not raping," Nyathi pleaded. The court heard that on an unknown date but sometime in 2016 the accused person who also happens to be an uncle to the juvenile came to the complainant's residence and found her washing plates in the kitchen.The accused entered the kitchen, demanded sexual intercourse and threatened to stab the complainant if she refused.Allegedly out of fear the complainant kept it as a secret.On February 8, 2016 at around mid-day the accused again came to the complainant's place of residence and found that the minor's grandmother had gone to drive her goats to the nearby grazing area where she usually spends sometime before coming back home.The complainant was in her bedroom and the accused went inside carrying an iron bar. Nyathi allegedly tore the minor's clothes and raped her.The grandmother found the complainant seated outside the house crying. The complainant narrated her ordeal to her grandmother and the matter was reported to the Police leading to the accused's arrest.According to the medical report that was produced in court the minor had bruises in her vagina.The accused was remanded in prison to March 10, 2017.